3D printing Elon Musk’s Hyperloop

There’s no way you haven’t heard of the Hyperloop, Elon Musk’s idea for a new form of high-speed transportation. We won’t discuss the feasibility of the project (though we will point out that Musk’s company SpaceX did dock a craft with the International Space Station). Musk released initial designs with the request that other engineers improve and eventually implement it. A somewhat mysterious 3D printing company, WhiteClouds, has helped with one of the important early steps of creating a physical model.

WhiteClouds has 11 different printers, and to showcase what they could do, the Hyperloop was printed on three of those printers in under 24 hours. “The Connex 500 printed the pillars using Polyjet technology. The tubes are made of a clear UV-cured resin and printed with the ProJet 3500 HDMax. The ZPrinter 650 printed the station platform and the pods. They are full-color and made of the sandstone-like material.” That’s quite an arsenal.

Being able to see and touch a physical model can really get the creative juices flowing, and there’s some element of motivation to it too. Designer Krista Davis said “Seeing the Hyperloop in person really gives you an idea of what [Elon Musk] is presenting.”

About Cameron Naramore

Cameron, Senior Staff Writer, is a technology enthusiast that can better write about 3D printing than he can ride a bike. His interest in 3D printing is mostly driven by his desire to become a cyborg. He enjoys philosophical conversation and is also fond of poetry and Star Trek. Connect with him on Google+.

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